Dear friends in Christ,
Greetings to you in the exuberant name of our Lord Jesus. I convey my greetings to you on behalf of my family and myself. Let the grace of our Lord be with your spirit.
When we read in Gen. Chapters 6,7 and 8 we see that God found that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, the intent and thoughts of his heart were continually evil. The earth was corrupt before God and it was filled with violence. All flesh has corrupted his way. The Lord was sorry that he had made man and he was grieved in his heart. This is recorded in Gen.6:5-21.
God was angry and he had intended to destroy all flesh with the earth.
But God wanted to keep Noah, his sons, his wife, his son’s wives. God established his covenant with Noah. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
Noah did according to all that Lord had commanded, and then he entered the ark with his sons, his wife and his son’s wives together with clean cattle, unclean beast, fowls and every thing that creeps on earth. Two by two they went in male and female. God preserved them in the large ship.
For forty days it rained incessantly. There were great floodwaters on earth God executed his judgment. All the living things on the face of the earth the man and the cattle, creeping things and birds were all destroyed. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark were saved.
When we apply this spiritual principal to our lives, It shows those that are outside the ship represented destruction and those inside life. Jesus is the anchored ship. If we abide in Christ we shall have prosperity, abundant life and security in our lives. However if we are without Jesus we invite destruction and death. Let us examine our personal lives.
Noah and his family were in the ark for one year and 17 days (Gen.7: 10,11 and; 8:14). We come to know what God provided for Noah and his family in the ship. We also can enjoy similar privileges in our personal as well as family lives if only we have Jesus with us.
1. God’s protection
Noah and his family were enjoying absolute protection inside the ark. God’s protection was so evident. There was safety, shielding and security. They were under the protection of God.
But people outside the ship were gripped in grief, death, confusion, chaos and tension all around. Imminent danger was apparent.
Friends, you and your family shall be safe and secure this New Year if only you abide in Christ.
In col. 3:2,3 it is written “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
To abide in Christ means to live a life like Jesus. To conduct oneself pleasing unto him both in our words and deeds. When are obedient unto his word and doers of his word, we can claim we abide in Jesus.
When we read John 15:1-10 we understand that Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches. When his life percolates into our lives it’s an evidence that we abide in him.
In Psalm 91, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Verses 9-11 says “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come high they dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thou foot against a stone”.
Now, if you are in Christ you shall see the angels in your inner eyes sent for your protection. If you abide in Christ you just enjoy God’s protection.
If it is not, Jesus extends an invitation to those that are living outside and away from him to come to him and enjoy the privilege of his protection, safety, security and shielding.
2. Gods Provision
Noah and family were enjoying God’s provision inside the ark.
According to all that God commanded Noah gathered all food for him and his family. He gathered food for all the beasts & birds and kept in the ark. But God only knows for how long and how many days they were to be in the ship.
If Noah had known of this fact he would not have sent a crow and a dove to know whether waters have dried up or not. God had granted a divine knowledge to Noah even at the time of gathering food. It is with God given divine knowledge that Noah gathered enough food for him, his family and all the living beings with him in the ship, as much as it is required to survive as was planned precisely by the God.
When people were perishing outside Noah and his family were enjoying God’s provision inside.
Friends, we need not be disappointed or dejected because God can provide us sufficient food and manifold blessings in this New Year. As he provided to Elijah in 1 Kings, Chapter 17, so shall he provide for you this New Year
3.God’s Care
In side the ark, Noah and his family were enjoying God’s care. Noah had no reason to worry about or anxious for anything. How many days was he to be in the ark? When should he go out? How should he be in the ark? How to control things in the ship? How to live amongst the deadly snakes and the ferocious animals? How to escape from the bite of the vipers and from the claws of the tiger? Noah didn’t need to ponder over all these things.
The reason is that they had a God who took absolute care about Noah and his family. He had a God who cared for his every concern and gave them assured life.
Just as Noah, my dear friend, you need not worry or think about anything. Just leave it to the Lord. Believe in him. Just enjoy God’s caring.
Noah must have felt like this in the ark. “Yes I have a God who takes all care about me and he plans everything for me”
Friends, so also, if you are in Christ you shall also enjoy Gods caring this New Year. Because Jesus cares for you and your family. I peter 5:7 says “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”.
Do not worry or be disappointed about things such as personal problems, troubles, financial crisis, unsolved problems, ill health etc., because there is a God who careth for you, who thinks for you. Unbelievable and amazing help shall forth come from God to solve all your problems.
4.God’s power
Noah and his family were experiencing the power of the God. Everything inside the ark was under control. Inside the ship all the situations, all things and happenings were under absolute control. They were enjoying God’s power.
So many wild animals, poisonous snakes, beasts that can cause harm were inside the ark. But a surprising element is that they did not cause any harm to either his family or other beasts and birds in the ark.
Cat didn’t harm the rat, the lion didn’t eat the goat, everyone was in it’s respective cages. In other words every situation and everything that was happening inside was under the control of Noah because of God’s supreme power. Thus Noah and his family were enjoying God’s power.
Dearly beloved! Those that abide in Jesus enjoy this power of Christ in their lives. “Everything will be under the absolute control of Jesus in you life”. This is the promise for the New Year all things in your life, all situations shall be controlled through his power. Whatever rises against you, nothing shall come of it. People that oppose you, problems, difficulties, loss, suffering, tears, drawbacks, and hurdles shall be governed and overcome by God’s power. Every situation shall be set right. You and your family shall experience God’s power.
What ever happens in our life is something “like telecast of a recorded match”. We know the final result. We are going to win the battle because Jesus has already won the battle for us.
5. God’s peace
Noah and his family were enjoying God’s peace inside the ark without any fear or foreboding. They were enjoying an inherent peace.
The roaring of the ferocious lions, the howling of the elephant, the hissing of the snakes were very much there inside the ark. But in this frightening atmosphere, Noah and his family were enjoying the perfect peace of God.
Noah had an assured feeling that these ferocious animals, deadly snakes and dangerous beasts cannot do any harm to him. Therefore he was enjoying that absolute peace inside the ark. There were no doubts, suspicions, disorder or tensions inside the ark. There was no need to be anxious. Nothing was to be worried. Just enjoy God’s peace.
Dear brothers, You and your family also can appropriate and enjoy this peace if only you abide in Jesus this New Year. This doesn’t mean to say that there wouldn’t be any difficulties, problems or tears. But even amidst those things God grants his peace to you. Phil 4:6,7 says, “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
It is the peace of God which passeth all understanding. It is to be experienced. When one walks through the valley of tears and troubles, His peace shall lighten our hearts. Therefore enjoy God’s peace.
6. God’s order
Noah and his family experienced the order of God inside the ark.
Inside the ark everything was in order. Gathered food, eating of the birds & beasts, behaving in an unnatural way, not causing harm to anyone or anything right form the morning till night all things were happening in a systematic way. Whatever happened had to happen within the ark. It all has to happen only in a perimeter. They all had to act under limited movement and boundary.
Dearly beloved, If your life is intertwined with Jesus you experience this order and systematization. This is God’s assurance for you in this New Year. As a Christian believer we cannot resort to free will behavior.
We have to live with in the perimeter and confine ourselves to God permitted realm. If we submit to his dominion we enjoy this divine order in our lives. Every movement in our life has some boundaries. It means we are to strictly adhere to the word of God and behave in the discipline of the divine.
Our words, deeds, conduct, behavior and thoughts are to be bound in God’s order and discipline. We behave only according to the will of God. This is God’s order.
If God’s order is not in your life, if you do not abide in Jesus, acknowledge this fact and rush unto Jesus. Jesus welcomes you and you can enjoy his absolute orderliness and peacefulness.
Unto God and our father be glory for ever and ever. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.